Baste

Liquids applied to foods as they cook are called bastes. Basting serves two purposes: It keeps meats moist and fosters the formation of a flavorful crust during grilling. A baste can be as simple as apple cider sprayed on ribs with a mister or as elaborate as the lemon- saffron-butter mixture brushed on shish kebabs by Iranian grill jockeys. Bastes usually contain some sort of fat—olive oil or melted butter, for example—to seal in the juices.